OSBO Blog

Often, when cash flow is tight, the first thing that business owners cut is their marketing and advertising expense. This is a big mistake. First of all, when business is slow you should do everything you can to increase sales. That doesn’t mean you have to spend more money. Instead, you should implement low cost and no cost marketing strategies into your plan.

One of the easiest ways to increase the visibility of your business is to increase your networking. Today that means not only live and local interaction with other business owners in your community, but online networking through social media should also be increased.

If you haven’t started using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Blogs, etc., it is worth the time to set up accounts and start posting. You will find that if you treat your social media networking the same as a regular business meeting and allocate the same amount of time that you would spend at a traditional networking event, you will build your online presence quickly.

You don’t have to be an expert to get started. Every one of the social media sites has easy tutorials and there are lots of books to walk you through the setup process. It is also a good idea to ask other business owners how they are promoting online.

Be sure to do an online search for your most successful competitor and find out how they are positioning their business online. The internet is a wonderful marketing tool and the only cost for using social media is your time.

Building an online networking presence, in addition to increased visibility at local business functions, can grow your customer base and your potential referral partners. Whichever strategy you decide to use, always follow up and be consistent. Networking in person or online doesn’t work without the follow up to develop a relationship and make the sale.

If you choose to work with an expert for your social media plan, there are several companies that specialize in building internet campaigns and helping you establish your brand online. Just make sure you do your homework before hiring an expert and make sure you have taken the time to understand the products yourself.

The redesign offers a simpler way for members to access the benefits they need and guests to understand the value of OSBO membership. The new website offers more audio, video and tools to enhance the users’ experience.

When you log into the new website you will find the OSBO benefits will display in three major categories:

1. Business Products and Services

2. Business Training

3. Business Employee Benefits

All the OSBO benefits will fall into one of these categories. Members and guests will now be able to easily choose to review benefits available per category and quickly find the benefits they are interested in using.

Your business may not need ALL the benefits OSBO offers, but the OSBO program is designed so that even taking advantage of one of the many benefits may save your business more than the cost of membership. The OSBO program provides the business owner the choice of the benefits they need, when they need them.

We have found that every business needs different benefits depending on where they are in their cycle of business. Small businesses need a different level of benefits and support than major corporations. The OSBO program provides access to all levels of support and gives the choice directly to the business owner to find the benefits they need, when they need them.

Please visit our benefits area to find the latest additions to the OSBO program and learn how OSBO membership can save you time, save you money and help you grow your business.

OSBO will be offering a discount program for our members through T-Mobile. If you are ready to upgrade to the latest handset or tablet, now is the best time. Our members who have already accessed this program are reporting significant monthly savings.

Individual and Business Plans are available. To access the full details of the program and the contact information for our National Account Representative, members should login then go to the Products and Services Benefits area.

We know there is no shortage of social media campaign advice. We also know we have something special here. So listen up.

Dream big. Clearly mediocre plans are beyond ridiculous. What you want to do is think big and plan small. What is your current social media presence like? Perhaps it is more complicated than it needs to be. Check out how you can refine it. Simple and clean works best.

Remember simple is not the same as easy. Still pay attention to details. While Type A people get a bad rap, they get the job done and do it in a superior manner. Don’t allow a careless tweet or missed dialogue get your campaign down. Get your Type A guy on board and reap the rewards.

That being said, know you can’t control everything. Anything involving humans equals unpredictability. Plans involve the aforementioned, so prepare to deal with the unexpected. Gear your thoughts to what will come next. What will you do with your gargantuan amount of friends and followers once you get them? These relationships need proper attention.

What do your peeps like? Do you know? Have you researched it? When was the last time you looked at your chat logs or server? So get to it. Drive your campaign to be as sexy as it can be.

Employer’s Outsourcing Payroll Responsibilities
Many employers outsource some of their payroll and related tax duties to third-party payroll service providers. They can help assure filing deadlines and deposit requirements are met and greatly streamline business operations. But remember, employers are ultimately responsible for the payment of income tax withheld and both the employer and employee portions of social security and Medicare taxes.

Third Party Arrangements
Employers may designate or enter into an agreement with a third party in which the third party agrees to take over some or all of the employer’s Federal employment tax withholding, reporting and payment responsibilities and obligations. The following common third party arrangements are discussed in this section:

Payroll Service Provider (PSP)

Reporting Agent (RAF)

Section 3504 Agent

Depending on the facts and circumstances, and the type of third-party arrangement, an employer who uses a third party to perform Federal employment tax functions on its behalf may remain solely liable for Federal employment taxes, or may become jointly and severally liable for such taxes.

Third Party Arrangement Chart
The attached chart illustrates some differences in authority between a payroll service provider, reporting agent authorized under Form 8655, Reporting Agent Authorization (PDF) and an agent appointed using Form 2678, Employer/Payer Appointment of Agent (PDF).

Reporting Agents (RAF)

General Information
Reporting Agents have long served an important role in our nation’s tax collection system as a conduit between employers and the IRS. Reporting Agents improve the efficiency of IRS tax collection and compliance. Reporting Agents assist employers in making required tax deposits and tax information filings to the Federal Government and to state and local governments.

Aggregate Form 941 and Form 940 filers must use Schedule R
IRC section 3504 agents must use the Schedule R for Form 941 and the Schedule R for Form 940 to provide an allocation of aggregate employment tax returns the agents file for multiple clients.

TIN Matching Service

Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Matching
TIN matching is part of a suite of Internet based pre-filing e-services that allow “authorized payers” the opportunity to match 1099 payee information against IRS records prior to filing information returns. This service may assist in improving the accuracy of Form 1099 data, and reduce subsequent penalties and error notices. E-services users must register to have access to products such as TIN Matching. To get started using TIN Matching, please visit our e-services.

References/Related Topics

Employment Taxes for Businesses​

QR Codes are mobile barcodes. These 2D barcodes are an abbreviation for Quick Response. Businesses can immediately interact with a customer via the scan of a cell phone. Digital marketing targets an audience with a curiosity factor and a techie appeal. Scan and connect. It is simple and enticing.

With this opportunity, businesses should be savvy. QR codes are cool and toylike, yet marketing is serious business. Think ahead and design a campaign with a hook after the initial hook of the QR code. Relevance for the consumer and business is critical. Make sure everybody gets what they want.

The QR code itself should be strategically placed. It needs to be easy to be scanned. Plan out the design and placement. Print ads need to not be hindered by folds with enough white bordering to be easily scanned. To comply with most mobile devices, a minimum resolution of 1×1 is suggested. Outdoor ads should be at arm or eye level. If it is presented in multimedia format, make certain it displays for a minimum of fifteen seconds so that one has time to scan. Keep in mind the size of the screen, i.e. big screen, tv, etc. What about color? A black and white QR code ensures success. Some proprietary mobile barcodes use color. These are a small exception. Do not overlay your brands image on the code. Maximize the integrity of the code for successful scans.

Many websites are not easily navigated or accessed at all on a mobile device. Flash should be on its way out with its limitations. Screen size is even a factor. Don’t get left behind because your PC designed website only leads to frustration when your code is scanned.

Always test your code and link. Then do it again. You don’t want to risk a bad impression with wrong information such as leading to an incorrect site or no information at all such as a dead link. Try out various devices to see what everyone’s experience will be like.

Like all good marketing campaigns, measurement of success is imperative. Start out with clear goals and objectives. Barcode management platforms help you track time and location usage, as well as track analytics. This information will better your game plan. So now you are ready to get your game face on. Make that great first impression and engage in lasting relationships.​

The key goal is to separate the hot prospects that are ready to buy now, and then closing the sales now. An underlying premise is that educating prospects isn‟t part of the mix – that takes too much time. The efficient sales professional is skilled at weeding those who are qualified and ready to buy from those who aren‟t, which is the vast majority.

The Buyer’s Cycle. The preferred alternative for a small business owner is to operate in the “Buyers‟ Cycle. This is the process buyers go through to research purchase options before making buying decisions. It operates quite independently and in advance of the sales cycle. The buyers will identify themselves to you only when they are ready, and generally on their terms. Prospects who are low hanging fruit only get there through the Buyers‟ Cycle.

Owners that operate in the Buyers‟ Cycle don‟t chase business. Rather, they cultivate it in advance in narrowly defined niche markets by taking the time to understand the buyers‟ values and motivations, and then communicating with them to demonstrate their value. It sounds simple, but success is in the strategy and consistent execution.

How does a small business owner get into the Buyers’ Cycle? There are no road signs, but some first steps in making the transition to the Buyers‟ Cycle are to research and understand:

1. Who your ideal profitable customers should be

2. What your value proposition(s) is for your ideal target niche of prospects

3. How those prospects make buying decisions, and who makes them

4. Where those prospects go for advance knowledge on prospective products or services

5. When they start looking relative to when they buy

The challenge for the owner, who is marketing and selling part time, is to get ahead of the sales cycle timing curve so as not to miss opportunities. Getting ahead means operating in the Buyers‟ Cycle, which is exactly where the small business owner wants to be by leveraging prospect knowledge and attraction marketing so that they aren’t wasting time trying to convince prospects to buy.

Nobody likes to be sold to, convinced, and subjected to negative selling tactics. Prospects do like to make informed decisions, and the small business owners who educate their prospects in advance will sell more — without having to sell so hard!

Larry Warnick is Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of PassKey Strategies, a firm that helps owners of service-oriented businesses separate from the competition and transform into magnets for profitable, loyal, and referring customers. Go to http://www.PassKeyStrategies.com to access your free guide on Six Mistakes Entrepreneurs Must Avoid.​.